Pedro Almodóvar's Captivating Oscar-Winning Masterpiece Is a Tragedy That Sinks Into Darkness

There is often an ugly darkness within the gorgeous melodramas by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, from his directorial debut in the 1980s to his English-language feature debut, The Room Next Door, in 2024. Bold colors in the set design and costuming are beautiful visuals that contrast the pain. The laughs and tears come as pairs in his classic, All About My Mother, when a grieving mother returns to a life she wanted to leave behind. A self-defense killing brings a mother and daughter closer together in Volver. These films can provoke strong reactions from viewers. Almodóvar won his sole Oscar for Talk to Her, a tragic story of a surprising friendship and disturbing violence.